Just Like You
by AnimeQueen48
Summary: After discovering Hinata's horrible secret, Kiba and Tsume bring her to stay with them. Her father isn't very happy and their parents are hiding something. Will they make it, walking in their parents footsteps? NEVER CHANGE KibaHina
1. Kiba's Angry Discovery

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**Heyo all!!! How are ya's? This is my first KibaHina fic, and it's a part of my Never Change Series!!!! Yay!!! I have each chapter set for a particular day. Sorry if I don't get it out on that day... I'm getting REALLY bad at posting on time... /Blushes/**

**Anyway, on with the story! Injoy!**

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**-****Thursday, December 20, 2007****-**

Hyuuga Hinata was curled up on her large, western style bed. Her head tucked in between her knees and her arms wrapped around them. Just like her speech, Hinata's sobs were quiet, even more so when they were muffled by her legs.

Thoughts of her latest run in with her father, Hyuuga Hiashi, were still ringing in her ears and running through her head.

The throbbing in her normally pale arms didn't help the memories subside any faster either. The black spots forming on her fair skin looked so out of place on her soft arms, and -if she would show you- her back.

"Hinata-sama? Are you still in your room?" a male voice called out softly before peaking into her room.

"I'm r-right h-here, N-Neji-nii-s-san." He could barely hear her, with her head bowed toward her stomach, but continued in anyway.

"I brought in your ointments, like you asked," he said, placing them on her bed. She slowly uncurled herself from her self induced cocoon shape, stopping at particularly painful spots. Once she was uncurled, he caressed her cheek, though she had flinched away at first. "You have a bruise on your cheek," he muttered.

"A-Ari-g-got-to" she said, slowly picking up a first of many containers.

"Hinata-sama," he said, taking the wooden container from her hands. She understood, and simply let her branch family cousin administer the creams; just like he did every other time this happened. "Do you want me to do your back, Hinata-sama?" he asked, as he finished her bruised shins and arms. Like every other action she did in this state, she slowly began to lift her top over her head, and deposited it on the floor beside her bed. Working around the straps of her bra (which he barely dared go near) he finished her back as well.

"Do you want me to send word to your sensei that you're ill and unable to go to your training tomorrow?" he asked starting to put the ointments away, back into the simple box they came from.

"N-No tha-thank you, N-Neji-n-nii-san. I- I'll bb-be b-better b-by mo-morning," she stuttered out.

"If you insist. Good night, Hinata-sama."

He bowed as he left her room, closing the door behind him.

She fell backwards and bit back a cry as her tender back hit the mattress, and fell asleep fairly quickly as the pain subsided.

Neji stood outside her door thinking. Who was she closest too? Who outside this family would stop this? He was the last person to get himself mixed up into business that didn't have anything to do with him. But…

-**Friday December 21, 2007**-

"Where the hell is Hinata? She's never late!" Kiba growled, pacing back and forth with Akamaru nipping at his heels. Neither Shino or Kurenai answered, they couldn't, no one knew where she was.

Suddenly, Kiba stopped pacing and Akamaru began jumping around and barking before running toward the village.

"Akamaru!" Kurenai called. "Kiba, what is it?" she asked, standing up.

"Hinata's here… but…" he muttered. Kurenai turned toward the direction the small dog had run off in. After a minute, they saw the young Hyuuga girl walking towards them with the pup in her arms.

"Hinata!" Kurenai called, waiting for the girl to raise her head and smile at them like normal, but she didn't.

"What's wrong with her, Kiba? Can you tell?" Shino asked, also standing up. He didn't expect growling to come from the Inuzuka boy, but from that point on, he knew there was something wrong with her.

Hinata finally reached her teammates, but she still didn't raise her head, not even to move her face away from the puppy licking her left cheek. Kiba ran over to her and grabbed her by her shoulders, growling even more when she flinched.

"Hinata, look at me." he ordered, look down at the girl. "Hinata…" she shook her head. "Why?" He didn't get an answer, letting go of one of her arms, he moved Akamaru away from her face and heard her whimper as he ran his hand along where his dog had been licking. "Who did it?" he asked with clenched teeth, trying his hardest against his instincts not to yell and kill whoever hurt his friend.

"I… I can't t-tell, Kiba-k-kun," she said, staring down at the puppy still in her arms.

While all this was happening, Kurenai and Shino stood off to the side.

"Do your bugs know what's wrong with her, Shino?" she asked quietly.

"She's hurt."

"Was she training with her father last night?"

"Someone hit her," Shino said, his hands secretly clenching under the sleeves of his jacket. "And not with Jyuuken. She has at least one bruise, on her face, that's why she isn't looking up." Kurenai narrowed her eyes and started over toward her two wards, but the Aburame Gennin stopped her.

"Kiba can take care of this. He's closest to her, if anyone will get her to confess, it's him." Kurenai looked toward the two, with Kiba rubbing her cheek "There is nothing we can do if she doesn't admit someone hurt her. She'd just deny it to the Hokage." Kurenai nodded. He had a point.

When Kurenai looked back at the two, she seen Kiba merely leaning on Hinata, his head down… had he given up?

"Kiba-kun…" the white eyed Gennin muttered quietly. He looked up, his eyes still somewhat angry, but certainly much calmer then they'd been minutes ago. "You… You h-have t-to promi-ise me y-you wo-won't go after h-him…" she whispered, holding her pinkie up to him.

"On Squad 8 life," he answered, interlocking his pinkie with hers. Just as she was about to tell him, Kiba picked up a familiar scent and Akamaru ran into the woods.

"Not again! Akamaru!" Kurenai called.

"It's alright Kurenai-sensei…" Kiba called half heartedly, letting go of the Hyuuga heiress who quickly hid herself behind him. Akamaru returned on the back of a much larger dog with an eye patch, barking happily, a woman looking a lot like Kiba followed them out, laughing at Akamaru nibbling on the other dogs ear.

"Oi, Baa-chan, what are you doing here?" Kiba mumbled.

"Inuzuka-san?" Kurenai asked, surprised. Hinata glanced between the new woman and her defensive team mate. She doesn't look old enough to be his grandmother, but why else would Kiba call her _Baa-chan_?

"Kiba-kun… Who is she?"

"Kiba, what did I tell you about calling me OLD!?!" yelled the woman.

"She's going to kick your ass one of these days Kib-Ow! Akamaru! Let go of my ears I said!" called the dog.

"H-He talked Kiba-k-kun!" she said to the boy, pointing at the older dog. Kiba laughed at the girl and nodded.

"Yeah Hinata, most of her dogs can, Akamaru will one day too."

"So this is Hyuuga Hinata-sama." the new woman said, suddenly in front of Kiba and Hinata. She hid further behind Kiba in surprise, causing the Inuzuka woman to flinch. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she said, slightly scowling when she seen the dark mark on her otherwise flawless skin. "That is quite the beauty mark he gave you there, isn't it, Sunshine?" she asked. Kiba glared at the woman as Hinata hid her face in her guardians' hood.

"What do you want, Baa-chan…?" Kiba growled.

"First of all, don't you growl at ME, pup, second of all, if I've told you once, I've told you 100 times, stop calling me an old woman and third of all, she is why I'm here."

"Hinata? What do you know that I don't?" Kiba asked, bringing his arm around his back to comfort the girl hiding herself in the folds of his jacket.

"One of the Hyuuga boys stopped by a while ago on his way to training, saying that he hated butting into others' affairs, but he said it was his responsibility to protect her—"

"N-Neji-n-nii-san…" the smaller girl sobbed. Kiba turned around to see tears running down her face.

"Hinata! What's wrong?" Hinata latched onto him crying. He wrapped his arms around her, and put his own head against hers in comfort.

"He- he's p-protec-cting m-me K-Kiba-kun!" she cried.

"Kiba, he told me who bruised up this little angel…" Kiba glared.

"Start talking." he growled again, the woman looked annoyed, but let his rudeness slide for the time being.

"Hyuuga Hiashi…"

"That Son of a Mutt! I'll kill him!" Kiba barked, his eyes taking on a surprising red tint.

"N-No Kiba-kun." Hinata cried, clenching his jacket in her hands. "Y-you promised," she whispered. Kiba sighed, his eyes turning back to normal and just hugged the younger girl until she stopped crying.

"I won't go, Hinata, but you aren't going back there either," he whispered.

"W-where would I go?" she asked as she wiping her eyes. Kiba sent a hopeful glance at the woman behind him and she smiled, nodding.

"You're going home."

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Well, That's it for now! RandR Please!

Happy Holidays!


	2. Home

_**Chapter two! Sorry, it's slightly late, but I was kinda busy yesterday. It IS almost Christmas after all. lol. Enjoy!**_

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-****December 21, 2007****2:30 pm-**

"A-are you sure that this, ah.. that this is alright, I-Inuzuka-san?" Hinata asked as she walked toward Inuzuka territory with said team mate and his (after her second time of asking who she was) mother.

"Of course, Sunshine! My eldest girl just moved into another house on our lands, so there is one extra room and you're Kiba's team mate. Of course it's fine." Tsume answered. "And by the way Sunshine, you can call me by my name." Hinata blushed, but nodded, tapping her fingers together by habit.

Kiba glanced at the Hyuuga girl every once and a while, making sure that she was alright, and not trying to hide anything from him. He only faintly realized that Akamaru was still bothering his mother's dog or that his mother was still ranting and raving over something that wasn't important.

"K-Kiba-kun, are you m-mad at me?" Kiba snapped his head over to the Hyuuga girl who was staring at him with her sad white eyes.

"What? No! Hinata! Why would I be mad at you?" he asked frantically.

"You weren't answering me…" she mumbled.

'_I… She was talking to me and I didn't know it!?!_' Kiba thought. "I'm sorry, Hinata, I was just thinking and guess I got caught up. What's up?" he answered, trying to cover up for his mistake.

"H-how long until we get to y-your home?" she asked. Looking around, Kiba noticed the border line to his territories.

"We're in our territories now, Sunshine, we'll be there in about 10 minutes." his mother answered before he could.

"Um… Tsu-Tsume-sama?" Hinata asked from beside Kiba in a small voice. Tsume turned around and started walking backwards, showing the girl her full attention. "W-what if fa-father finds out about m-me staying with y-you and... ah... comes after m-me?" she asked in a small voice. "I-I don't want to, to trouble you…"

"He can't get on these lands, Hinata," Kiba said laughing lightly. "The dogs won't let him in for one, and for two, he'd be breaking the Clan Agreements."

"A-Aren't we though? Y-You're taking me away from my father. I want t-to go with you but…"

"Then we aren't breaking it, Sunshine. You're coming willingly and invited and your father was breaking the Parenting Agreement, so we're just fixing that," Tsume assured with a smile. "Now stop worrying your pretty little head off and let me handle your father, alright?"

"P-Parenting Agreement?" Hinata inquired to her friend.

"That's what Baa-chan calls it when someone has a child. They are agreeing to look after it, love it and care for it. If they don't, they are breaking the agreement."

"Oh…" Hinata muttered. The rest of the walk was quiet minus the sounds of Akamaru and Kuromaru growling at each other. When they finally started reaching the compound, Hinata stopped.

"I-It's so pretty, K-Kiba-kun!" They stopped to look at the girl oddly. "It's so c-colourful!" she said with a smile, making the others smile.

"Probably more colourful then the Hyuuga compound, huh?" Kiba said, almost laughing at the expression on the Hyuuga's face. She nodded and started walking again. As they got into the main part of the territory, more and more people started to look at Hinata, making her shy behind Kiba, and him to glare the gapers staring at the girl.

"We're home, Sunshine!" Tsume, said, opening the door to a gate leading to a moderate sized, light blue house. As the gate opened three dogs came running out.

"Komaru? Gamaru? Where's Hana?" Kiba asked two identical dogs.

"House." the two twin dogs answered in sinc, not being able to speak Japanese as well as Kuromaru. The third, black one nodded, not being able to talk at all.

"Kiba, why don't you take the little ray of Sunshine back to the kennel while you feed the dogs?" Kiba nodded and Hinata followed him around the house to a smaller one in the back. Keeping her questions silent until they got inside, she wondered what it was exactly Kiba was taking her to.

Once inside, her eyes lit up. Barking puppies were rolling around and biting on each other happily.

"L-Look at all the puppies, K-Kiba-kun!" she said, apparently forgetting that he was the one who took her there to see them. "Th-They're so cute!" she said again, her head moving around rapidly, trying to look at them all. Kiba laughed and nodded.

"You stay here with them while I go get them fed, ok?" he asked, walking toward the other side of the room to some cabinets. She nodded, still rooted to the spot looking at all the puppies. Akamaru came in through a hole in the wall and jumped into Hinata's arms.

"Are these y-your brothers and sister, Akamaru?" Hinata asked the puppy, he barked and cuddled into her arms, before jumping down to play with some of the older puppies.

"The ones Akamaru are playing with are all about his age, we have them split into 4 kennels… if you wanna see them." Kiba said, coming back beside her.

"How m-many are as old as A-Akamaru?" she asked, following Kiba and trying not to step on the rough housing dogs.

"We have… 8 born about two weeks ago, 6 about one year old, 5 Akamarus' age, and about 4 full grown that are still here." he answered, opening another door marked 'One'. Hinata noted that the floor was squishy in this room, and there were two dog houses, but no puppies.

"W-Where do they g-go when th-they grow u-up?" she asked.

"Dogs we don't use, normally are sold to other villages either for pets or tracking dogs." he said, plopping down on the floor.

"What k-kind of p-puppies are in h-here, Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked, copying Kiba and sitting on the floor.

"The young pups are in here, so they don't get hurt when the older ones are playing. They stay in those dog houses when someone isn't in here to watch them." He didn't know why, but Hinata wanting to know so much about his dogs… it made him feel… special.

"C-Can you let th-them out?" she asked, staring hopefully at the houses.

"Which do you wanna see, the bitches or the males?" Kiba asked. He heard an audible gasp from his friend as he stood up and turned his head to her in curiosity. "What?" he said before he realized what it was. "Oh, Hinata, that's what they're called, bitches, but I suppose if you want, I can call them females. Is that what was wrong?" The girl nodded. "So, which ones?" he asked again.

"Um.. C-Can I s-see them b-both?"

"Sure," he said walking over and opening up both cage doors. He started cursing under his breath as the puppies ran around his feet. One puppy, while the others were jumping on, biting, tackling, clawing - and so on - Kiba, walked over to Hinata.

"Konichiwa, little one. How are you?" she asked, putting her hand out for the puppy. It didn't shy away like most would, but sniffed it briefly, before licking her hand, making her giggle.

"Wow. You must really have a way with dogs, Hinata!" She looked up at Kiba who finally got away from the _rampageous ankle-biters _(As she had heard him call them) and sat down next to her.

"Why, Kiba-k-kun?" She picked up the puppy and gently scratched it's ears.

"She won't let anyone touch her," he said, pointing to the small black fluff ball in her arms. She looked down at the mass of fur snuggled into her arms.

"D-Does she have an n-name?"

"Nah, no one wants her because she won't go near anyone. All the other puppies do, they are all claimed, but this little one doesn't." Kiba answered. Just as Hinata was about to ask something else, Kiba yelped in pain.

"Wh-What's wrong?"

"Little mutt bit me." He glared, raising his hand up to see a white puppy with a tag on it's paw growling, latched onto his hand. He removed it, placed it back on the ground, then scooted it off. "That dog has it in for me. He does that every time I come in here."

"May-Maybe he's trying to tell you something…" she muttered giggling. Kiba sat in shock for a minute before laughing too.

"Looks like she's going to fit in here fine, Kiba." They both turned to see Kiba's mother standing in the doorway. "Is that the…" she asked, after Hinata stood up to face her with the puppy in her arms. "Looks like we have a natural. That pup won't even go near us."

"K-Kiba-kun told me…" she said, snuggling the puppy close.

"Say Sunshine? When's your Birthday?" Tsume asked after a minute.

"Oh.. Um… De-December 27th…" Tsume smiled, and didn't say another word on the subject. "Kiba, I'm going to start making supper, why don't you take Sunshine here around and see the rest of the dogs?" Kiba nodded and Hinata went over to put the puppy back in the house with the red blanket.

"Baa-chan, can I put a tag on that puppy?" he asked quietly.

"So Hinata can have her? I don't see why not. But keep her as a birthday or Christmas present," Kiba nodded. "Now you go. I have food to make."

**December 21, 2007- 6:30pm**

"Th-that was very g-good, Tsume-sama, A-Arigoto," Hinata picked up her plate as Tsume began taking in the dishes.

"You don't have to help, Sunshine." Tsume said, looking back at Hinata following her.

"I-It's alright. Y-You're letting me l-live with you. I can a-at least h-help out a-around the house…" she said. She was stuttering, but seemed confident in what she was saying.

"You really are a little angel. Come on then," Tsume said.

While Hinata and Tsume were in the kitchen and Kiba was curled up on the couch, there was a knock on the door. Moving Akamaru off his lap, and Kuromaru away from his feet, Kiba got up.

"I'll get it, Baa-chan!" he yelled walking over to the door. He didn't expect to see Neji standing at his door. "Neji?"

"Kiba-san. Hinata-sama is here, correct?" he asked. Kiba looked behind him and noticed the snow coming down pretty hard. (AN: I don't know if there is snow in Konoha or not, I'm assuming no, but there is here)

"Ah, yeah, come on in, I'll get her and a towel for ya." Kiba turned around and Neji stepped into the house, out of the cold snow. He stood there for a few minutes before Hinata poked her head from around the corner.

"I brought you some change of clothes and your money from your room. Don't worry; I got TenTen to pack it for me…" he said, blushing while he held it out for her. She thanked him quietly before Kiba came in with a towel.

"Why don't you get Baa-chan to show you where your room is, Hinata?" Kiba said, never breaking eye contact with the Hyuuga genius.

"S-Sure, Kiba-kun," she said, turning and following her hostess up the stairs. Once sure she was gone, he handed the towel to Neji.

"Listen, I don't particularly like you and I'm sure you don't much like me either," he started, glaring at the other boy. "But what you did to get Hinata out of there, it wasn't like you, and I'm going to have to thank you for that." He surprised the white eyed boy, looking at him from underneath the towel. "We've been on missions together, and you've help save my butt, as well as Akamaru's and I never got to thank you for that either," he continued. "So as much as I hate to say it, I own you a couple and for her sake…" He looked up the stairs where Hinata had followed his mother. "Let's try to be at least descent to each other, alright? You don't have to like me, I don't have to like you, but for her, lets be as friendly as possible. Deal?" Neji looked at Kiba's outstretched hand and took it in a firm shake.

"Deal."

"Now… Out of curiosity, how did you get in our territories?" he asked, well natured, but truly curious.

"Your sister. I saw her in the market. I was going to go to the Hokage to get her to give Hinata-sama her things, but I found her and asked HER to give them to Hinata-sama." Neji started. "She just told me to give them to her myself, and just as we got to your territories, it started snowing." Kiba snickered, but offered Neji to rest up. "I'm afraid I can't. The only reason I even got out was because Hiashi-sama was out on business, but he should be back soon, so I must go. Say good bye to Hinata-sama for me." And with that, he left.

Just as the door shut, Hinata walked down the stairs in her pyjamas.

"Did N-Neji-n-nii-san leave, K-Kiba-kun?" He nodded, but froze when he turned around. Hinata was in a white tank top and white silk pants. You could clearly see the bruises on her arms and even one near her collarbone, but despite that, she still seemed just like the Angel his mother kept calling her… to Kiba at least.

'_Gyaa!!__ Stop thoughts like that__ Kiba,_' he told himself.

"I-Is something wrong?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest when she seen Kiba blankly staring at her.

"Ah, No, nothing Hinata. Wanna watch some TV with me?" She nodded, finished walking down the stairs, and sat on the couch next to Kiba, with Akamaru in-between them.

About an hour later, Tsume came down from upstairs, and seen Hinata's head on Kiba's shoulder, with Kiba's head on top of hers, his arm wrapped loosely around her waist and Akamaru's head on her lap. She smiled and grabbed a throw blanket from the couch over them before turning out the light.

"Good thing they aren't sleeping in the same room…" she muttered, walking up the stairs to go to bed herself.

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I'm not sure if the stuff about the dogs were accurate, but tell me if it wasn't, alright?

Jane


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three: Maybe…_**

_**-****December 22, 2007- 7:30 ****am****-**_

Kiba's nose twitched as the smell of breakfast food wafted into his sensitive nose. Next, his eyes drifted open and his brain began to register that he wasn't in his room. In his house but not his room. A weight on his shoulder and upper leg registered next. Akamaru could be on his shoulder… and maybe the remote on his lap? Barking from his feet made his brain register that Akamaru was not on his shoulder. Then what? The weight shifted and the smell of lilac and lilies entered his nose.

'_That smell… Hinata!_' His brain panicked but he remained calm on the outside. "Hi-Hinata? Wake up, Hinata?" he called, a blush spreading across his nose with each word. Her white eyes drifted open before she realized how she was sitting and jumped across the couch, pushing her fingers together and trying to hide her beet red face from the boy she had been (ahem) laying on.

"Ah, you two are up, are you? Sleep well?" Tsume said poking her head into the den.

"Baa-chan!!" Kiba yelled, making Hinata blush more.

"What? I haven't seen you have such a restful sleep in ages. And Hinata looked pretty comfortable herself. I didn't mean anything," she said innocently.

"My—"

"Yes, I did thank you…" Hinata answered as she got up for breakfast. Kiba stared at Hinata like she had grown 10 heads and taken up a career in taxidermy. He couldn't believe she answered that! '_Though… It was good she answered positively I guess… What am I saying! No NoNoNoNo!_'

"Are you coming Kiba?" Tsume asked the flabbergasted Inuzuka boy. He nodded faintly before following his mother into the kitchen.

_**-****December 22, 2007- 7:00 ****am****-**_

"What do you mean she's with those… Those animals!" Hiashi yelled turning away from the kneeling Neji. "Who let her go there! Tell me!" he yelled, rapidly turning back to him. He refused to answer however, he didn't even look up. Angered beyond care, Hiashi lashed out and smacked the boy with enough force that he was sent backwards. He caught himself on his elbows.

Outside the room, TenTen stood, waiting for any time that she may have to step in and help her teammate. When Hiashi hit him, she was about to slam open the door, and send a couple of kunai at the man, but a smaller body stopped her.

"Stop, TenTen-sempai," She turned to Hinatas little sister, Hinabi. The girl was latched onto her hand, stopping her from drawing her weapons. "If you just go in there firing weapons at him, you are going to get someone who doesn't deserve it, hurt," she said, before letting go of the girl.

"No wonder Hinata left…" TenTen muttered. "And if this keeps up, there's no way I'm letting Neji stay either."

"It may actually be best if you took him." Hinabi said quietly. "Father doesn't hit me, even when I do, do something wrong. From what I've heard, I'm his favourite and he was looking for a reason for Hinata not to be the heiress." Hinabi appeared to have picked up her sisters habit of pushing her fingers together. "but Neji is supposed to protect Hinata and keep her in line, so if Hinata isn't around…"

"He takes her anger at Hinata and Kiba out on him. That little bastard." Both of the girls stopped talking as the yelling inside stopped, knowing that if they were caught, it wouldn't be good for themselves or Neji. TenTen grabbed the young Hyuuga and moved up onto the ceiling, using her chakra to keep them there as the door opened suddenly. Seeing that it was just Neji, they jumped down. "Are you al— Neji! Your face!" the Kunoichi said startled.

"I'm fine, TenTen. Hinabi-sama, your father is heading to your room; don't let him catch you with me." he said turning his cheek away from his team mate.

"Arigoto, Neji-nii-sama. Good Bye, TenTen-sempai." she said before running off to get to her room before father caught her near the branch member.

"And for the record, I'm about as stubborn as you are. He left a mark on your face!" TenTen said once she was sure the girl was out of ear shot.

"I'm fine, TenTen." he said, trying to get past her.

"Listen here, Mr. Hyuuga. You can't lie to me about things like that." she said, draping her arms around his neck to stop him from going anywhere. She then bent her arms to cup his face in her hands. "He could really hurt you, Neji. He's a Hyuuga Jounin." Neji took her wrists in his hands gently.

"I'm well aware of what he can do. But I'm hoping that as long as I'm here, he won't hurt you or go after Hinata-sama." He leaned his forehead against hers and looked into her contrasting, chocolate eyes.

"But you shouldn't have to take what he's doing to you. Won't you come home with me?" she asked, rubbing her nose with his for silent comfort.

"I don't know Ten…" he said with hesitance.

"Come on! I have the whole house to myself when Anko isn't home, and it's not like you haven't stayed the night at my place before…" she said tracing her fingers down his chest.

"Ten! We didn't do anything!" Neji blushed hard at what it sounded like she had said.

"Exactly my point, not that I said that we did do something…" she said, smirking at the flustered Hyuuga.

"Do you know how much trouble we'll be getting in if he finds me living with you?" Neji asked, his hands moving around to take her by the waist.

"I'm well aware of the risks, Neji. But Lee moved in with Gai-sensei, seeing as they get along so well and Lee's parents died before we became Gennin. Gai-sensei lives barely 20 seconds at a normal walking pace, away!" she argued. "If push comes to shove, we can explain to him what Hiashi is doing and he won't let him near us…" Neji sighed, knowing that she was right.

"I don't know why I argue when I end up agreeing with you anyway…" he muttered.

"It's because you love me and don't want me hurt… I'm just so cute, you end up doing it anyway." she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips and earning a smirk from her lover.

_**-****December 22, 2007- 12:45****pm****-**_

Hinata squealed as the dogs splashed water on her. After lunch, Tsume had sent Kiba and Hinata upstairs to wash Akamaru, Kuromaru and a few of the puppies that were going to their new homes within a couple of days, and apparently, they didn't like the water very much.

"Akamaru! Chill out!" she heard Kiba yell from somewhere downstairs. He, like most other dogs, apparently didn't like baths as much as Hinata remembered.

"P-Please calm down…" she asked the puppies splashing around in the tub, knowing they understood her. Just as she finished speaking, they looked at her and continued to swim around in the semi-deep water, but no longer splashed and bit at each other.

"You really are rather good with pups, Hinata-san." Kuromaru said, walking into the bathroom just as Hinata sat down to wash one on the puppies in the tub.

"A-Arigoto…" she muttered, pouring a little shampoo into her hand. The large dog sat down and watched as she began to massage a puppy.

About 20 minutes after Kuromaru came into the room, Kiba walked in with a restrained Akamaru. Three clean puppies began running around his feet.

"Are they done already?" he asked, before doing a count. "Wasn't one of them brown?" he asked, looking at the two white puppies and one black and white one.

"N-No, Just v-very dirty…" she muttered as she drained the dirty water from the tub and began to refill it.

Twenty minutes later, a very wet Kiba and Hinata had managed to clean the very reluctant Akamaru.

"Done." Kiba sighed, leening back tiredly. "Jeeze. You aren't nearly that bad when we're in a lake…" Kiba muttered, glaring at the small dog under the towel Hinata was drying him with. Just as Hinata released him from the towel, Tsume and Hana appeared at the door.

"You two look tired, want us to wash Kuromaru?" Hana asked, trying to hide her smile.

"You come up to help us with the easy one..." Kiba grumbled bitterly.

"Watch it, Kiba…" Tsume glared at her son who just turned his head away. He stood up himself before helping the shy Hyuuga up as well. Once to her feet, she hid partially behind her team mate, glancing warily at the new comer. Although Kiba and Tsume were comfortable with her, and she obviously was an Inuzuka and not a Hyuuga, Hinata still hid despite herself.

Kiba must have read her mind, because he took her beside him, and introduced this new woman.

"Hinata, this is my older sister, Hana. Hana, you know Hinata." Hinata gave a weak smile and small wave. Hana returned it, adding a friendly Hello.

Hana hid how worried she was for this young girl. She was wearing a sleeveless pink top without the jacket she normally wore, so she could see the hand print shaped bruises on her small arms.

"Kiba, why don't you and Sunshine get changed?" Tsume said. Kiba seemed suspicious, but nodded and took the girl from the bathroom anyway.

"How could someone do that to such a sweet girl like her…" Hana asked when her brother and guest had left the room. Kuromaru entered the room and sat down,

"We've been asking ourselves that question…" the dog answered, walking up to his mistress.

"You should see her back. She was so sore last night, she asked me if I'd help her take her top off. It was no surprise!" Hana sat down beside her mother, who was now scrubbing shampoo into Kuromaru's fur. "Her back was practically one big bruise! Makes me want to take a page from Kiba's book and beat the crap out of the mongrel," she growled.

"You would be no better then he was." Kuromaru added in. Tsume sighed in agreement.

"I was talking to Kurenai-sempai this morning." Hana said. "She talked to Tsunade-sama. But apparently, she needs the report of a Medi-nin, or she'll have to go back with him." she said softly.

"So that's why you came over." Kuromaru said from the tub.

They were suddenly interrupted by very soft knock at the door, which Hana had closed.

"Come in, Hinata!" Tsume called. As she was told, a red faced Hinata entered the bathroom, still in her wet, soapy clothes.

"I… ah… w-would i-either of y-you be a-able t-to… ah… h-help me take my t-top o-off…?" she said, her face turning redder with each word she spoke, tapping her fingers together.

"I'll help you, hun." Hana said, following the girl from the room and closing the door behind her.

"Just an excuse to get under her top."

"You make it sound so perverted…"

_**-****December 22, 2007- 01:45 pm****-**_

"Welcome home, Neji-kun," TenTen said, plopping down on the couch next to said Ninja. Neji didn't answer. He knew that they weren't home free yet, he was sure TenTen knew that too, but was trying to be optimistic. "Please try to relax, Neji-kun…" TenTen begged, knowing what was running through his head. She snuggled into his side and began tracing circles on his thigh.

"I'm finally out of my cage. But I'm not free. He doesn't even know I'm gone," he said, distractedly undoing her buns and running his fingers through her ringlets.

"We told Gai-sensei. He has to go through Lee and Gai to get to us. And even if he does, you'll be going back there over my dead body." she murmured against his lips before gently kissing them.

Neji's hand slid down to her waist, pulling her closer, craving the comfort unique only to her. After they broke apart, they just stared into each others eyes, foreheads touching.

'_Let's hope it doesn't come to that…_' he thought, sliding his other hand down her cheek. Maybe she would be right, after all, she seemed so confidant and she had always been right before…

* * *

A second chapter for my reviewers! lol. Hope you injoy it!


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